Fashion Favorites 2: 30 More Ways to Wear Black Blazers

I'm concluding my fashion favorites series with black blazers.  Last year, I showed 20 ways to wear black blazers.  Black blazers continue to be my very favorite of the fashion favorites.  I mean...jeans, skirts, dresses, shorts, etc.  Is there anything that doesn't go with a black blazer?

With A Variety of Prints:

From left to right:  A is for A-Line; Eloquii Love

From left to right:  Styling for the Changing Seasons; Fall Color Week: Plum Purple; These Boots Were Made for Walkin'

With Midi-Skirts:

From left to right:  Ready for Tea; Rocker Ballerina at the St. Louis Fashion Blog Awards

From left to right:  Marvelous Midis; Florals & Stripes

With Jeans and Tees:

From left to right:  St. Louis VIP Blogger Lounge, Casual Black and White, J'Adore Denim and Stripes

With Brights:

From left to right:  Yellow & Red; I Resolve To Wear More Color

From left to right:  Countdown to New Years; Kaleidoscopes

With Other Neutrals:

From left to right:  Neutrals for Work and Play; Oh, For the Love of a Skirt; Quick Picks

From left to right:  Unconditional Body Beautiful, Part 2; Neutral Zone; Day to Night Minimalism

With Maxi Skirts:

From left to right:  Maxi Skirt for Work; Gilding the Lily; Maximizing on Winter

With Floral and Animal Prints:

From left to right:  A New Favorite; Honorable Mentions 6; From Desk to Drinks

From left to right:  Fall Color Week:  Sangria; I Resolve to Stay True to My Personal Style

Hope you enjoyed seeing my fashion favorites!  What are some of YOUR fashion favorites?

Fashion Favorites 2: Bright Swing Dress, 10 Ways

I have several swing dresses from the Eva Mendes for New York & Company line.  The "Sabrina" dress appears in new colors with every collection, and it's a real favorite of mine. 

In addition to the red and yellow versions featured here today, I also have this style dress in black and leopard print.  I RARELY buy multiples of the same style, but I just love the comfortable shape of these dresses.

The yellow version is my favorite of the four.  The pretty bold hue looks great with a variety of neutrals and other colors.  Yellow gets a bad rap as a color that is hard to wear, but it's all about finding the right shade for you.  The saffron color works for my skin tone, but a lemon, banana, canary, or mustard may work better for you.

I find these dresses surprisingly versatile, and I just love the way they look on their own or paired with tights and jackets for colder weather.

Here are some of the ways I've styled these bright swing dresses:

For Spring with Bare Legs and a Graphic Tote

Color and Confidence:  Yellow

Mixing Red & Gold/Yellow

From left to right:  Yellow & Red; To Belt or Not To Belt

With Cognac Moto Jackets

From left to right:  11 Twenty Eight Designs; Color and Confidence:  Yellow

With Printed Tights

From left to right:  Winter Bites; Taxi Cab Confessions

For Evening

Holiday Double Feature:  Red & Green

For Work With Neutrals and a Structured Blazer

From left to right:  Bzzzz...Black and Yellow Aren't Just for Bumblebees!!; Saffron and Navy

Swing dresses get a bad wrap because they can be a little shapeless.  This style isn't a dress to show off your curves, but it is super comfortable and easy for a range of situations.  One is a bold color makes it that much more of a fashion favorite!

Catch my other fashion favorites here, here, and here.

Fashion Favorites 2: Tulle Skirts, 12 Ways

Hope you were inspired by yesterday's round-up of some of my favorite ways to style a moto jacket.  I don't have 40 ways of styling tulle skirts, but they are definitely a fashion favorite. 

Tulle skirts are not as versatile as some other styles, but it doesn't mean you can't have some fun styling them.

My favorite way to wear a tulle skirt is in a very classic, almost ballerina-esque, fashion - spaghetti strap tanks, black blazers, and pretty heels.

Left to right:  Balleria Fantasies, Unconditional Body Beautiful - Part 2:  The Heart (Bust)

For a more modern and casual take, pair with a statement tee or sweatshirt: 

Left to right:  Honorable Mentions 6, Retro Redux

Left to right:  I Resolve To Have More Fun With Fashion, I Heart NYC

Tulle skirts can go a little edgy with a few rock-n-roll elements:

Rocker Ballerina at the St. Louis Fashion Blog Awards

Though I personally find this look to young for me for everyday wear, the bright colors and bold lip make for a fun and quirky retro look:

One Year and Running Strong

Tulle skirts are romantic by definition for me, so I love upping the romance even more by adding lace, florals, and other traditionally feminine elements: 

Tickled Pink:  Romance & Tulle

Romance in Lace and Tulle

Taking My Own Advice

And sometimes, it's just fun to fantasize that you're a spring fairy bringing Mother Nature back from a harsh snowy winter:

Snowy Whites

Do you like tulle skirts?  What's your favorite way to style them?  Any other ideas on styling them?

Please share!!

Fashion Favorites 2: Moto Jackets, 40 Ways

We all have those favorite pieces in our closet...you know those ones that go with everything and for which you constantly reach over and over.

If you've been following my blog even for a little bit, you may have noticed that I have a major penchant for moto jackets.  They're absolutely my favorite wardrobe staples.  I love them with any print, for evening looks, casual days, and even for work.

Last year, I featured seven ways to wear my cobalt moto jacket.  Here are some of the ways I've styled my moto jackets, including my cobalt favorite, this year:

With Animal Prints

Left from top to bottom:  Call of the Wild, Savanna Sunset
Center:  City Safari
Right from top to bottom:  Catting Around, Reverse It

With Jeans

Left to Right:  Citrus with Bite, Honorable Mentions 6

With Maxi Skirts or Dresses

Left to Right:  Neutral Territory, Transitioning a Maxi Dress, Blue Hues

For Work

Left, from top to bottom: 11 Twenty Eight Designs, A Homecoming Look
Center:  Not a Shrinking Violet
Right, from top to bottom:  Fall Color Week:  Dark Green, Luck of the Irish

With Romantic Black Skirts

From Left to right:  I Resolve To Have More Fun with Fashion, Silk and Chiffon, Honorable Mentions 7

With Dark Florals

From left to right:  Black Florals, Spring in Bloom

With a Red Maxi For Work, Evenings, or Weekends

Maxi and Moto - 3 Ways

With Graphic Prints

Left to right:  Spring Berries, The Shorts Alternative, Maxi Dresses for Spring

With Printed Tights and a Pops of Color

Left to right:  Mixed Prints & Cobalt, Tights Delight

With All Black Everything or Monochromatic Black and White

Top row, left to right: Balancing Act, Unconditional Body Beautiful:  My Belly and Me,
Fun with Zippers & Antiquarian Couture
Bottom row, left to right:  LBD Love, Black and White for Evening, Savoring Spring

With a Jumpsuit

Left to right:  Shades of Pink, Favorite Pairings

With Metallics, Pretty Skirts, Bright Colors...
With Whatever You Want!!

From left to right, top to bottom:  Day to Night Minimalism, Color and Confidence: Orange,
It's Only Rock-n-Roll, Fall Color Week: Blue

Do you wear a lot of moto jackets?  What are some of your fashion favorites?

Reader's Choice: What Happens in Vegas

I have been wanting to start a regular feature in which I respond to any questions you have, trends you'd like to see styled, etc.

Today, I am responding to a reader request on advice for what to wear for a casual trip to Vegas.  She wanted looks for casual days and casual, but glitzier, nights.

Vegas Capsule Collection

ASOS Curve plus size top, $62 / Cardigan / T shirt / Chiffon top / Gray tank / Blazer / ASOS Curve shorts, $59 / White pants / H M plus size activewear, $39 / Lizzy Extreme Dip Back Top / Leopard romper / Women's Plus Size Midi Denim Shorts-Ava Viv / Sadie Shorts / Sophie Swing Cami Vest / Wedge sandals / Sandals / Shoes / Shoulder bag / Red bag

When packing for a trip, it's helpful if you can find pieces that you can mix and match and that can go from day to night with ease.  By being able to use pieces for multiple purposes, you minimize what you'll have to pack and save space in your bag for souvenirs!

Since the trip is to the desert in the springtime, I was thinking about warm days and somewhat chilly nights, so I selected lots of shorts and a few layering pieces.

Here are just a few of the options I came up with:

Daytime Casual Looks
A simple denim shorts and t-shirt look is perfect for a quick trip to the Hoover Dam.

Planning a day of playing the penny slots and hitting the buffets, you'll need a comfortable and easy look.  A cardigan will stave off the chill of air conditioning.

Evening Looks
A sequined shorts set paired with blinged out accessories says Vegas all the way.  Plus, this set will easily break up into separates to be paired with other pieces for more evening options.

For a more laid-back evening, try your hand at print mixing by pairing printed pants with tribal print heels and a brightly colored camisole.  A draped blazer on hand will keep you warm should the temperatures drop.

Day to Night OptionsPair a floaty chiffon top with printed shorts and sandals for day, then wear that same top with sequin shorts and blinged-out accessories for evening.

Jean shorts can go from day to night just as you would with your jeans.  Throw a hi-lo tee over jean shorts for day, then add a sequin top and drapey blazer for evening.

A leopard print romper makes for easy Vegas dressing.  Cute wedges and a backpack are perfect for hitting the shops.  Switch out to those trusty tribal print heels and studded bag for an evening of club-hopping.

Faux leather joggers are easy to take from day to night.  Just swap out that hi-lo tee for a dressier style and add the bling!

A few more hints for successful packing - no matter where you're going:

• Jewelry is small and easy to pack, so add variety and interest to your looks by changing up your jewelry.  
• Pack with comfort in mind, and bring at least a few of your favorite pieces.  The last thing you want to do during a vacation is to be fidgeting with your clothes.
• Choose a neutral color palette and then add color and prints from there to maximize your mix-and-match options.  

What would you wear for a casual trip to Vegas?

Do you have any style questions you'd like me to answer?  Respond to this post or send me an e-mail at stylecassentials29@gmail.com, and I'll do my best to address them!

Maxi Dresses for Spring, Part Two

Did you catch this morning's post on maxi dresses for spring?  If not, you can catch up here.  Now, I've got a round-up of spring maxi dresses for your shopping pleasure!

It can sometimes be hard to find maxi dresses that allow you to wear a regular bra.  This one, in red or black, with a sexy side split, is casual perfection.  It's available in sizes 12-20.

Boohoo.com Layla Side Split Slinky Maxi Dress

Eshakti has really been hitting it out of the park this past year.  The crisscross detail on the straps gives this maxi dress a lot of visual interest.  I would dress this one up with a bold cuff bracelet or dress it down with flat sandals.  This dress is available in sizes 0-36W or custom fit.

eShakti Crisscross Strap Crepe Maxi Dress

This ruffled number from H&M is pretty in pink. Available in sizes 14-24.

H&M+ Long Dress

Land's End offers straight and plus sizes AND petite and tall lengths.  This maxi is available in three print options and sizes 0-26W (petite sizes available in sizes XXS-XL).  This floral print is just perfect for spring!

Land's End Sleeveless Maxi Dress

Have you checked out the Milly line for Kohl's?  This dolman sleeve maxi dress is available in sizes XXS-XL and in this fun print or sapphire.

MILLY for DesigNation by Kohl's Dolman Maxi Dress

This maxi dress from Eloquii in versatile scuba fabric is available in navy or a fiery red-orange color.  The strategic and interesting seaming elevate this dress from simple maxi to a a beautiful, structured showpiece.  Size 14-24

Eloquii Studio Cutout Scuba Gown

Available in sizes small to 4X, I would wear this one from Rebdolls as resort wear, or if I was feeling especially daring, for a fashion event or special night out with the man.

Rebdolls Grisel "Lost in Paradise" Gown

For when I'm feeling a little less daring, this white crochet-trimmed gauzy dress from Forever 21 is such a pretty and easy spring/summer option.  Available in sizes XL-3X.

Forever 21+ Crochet-Trimmed Maxi Dress

From Target's new plus size line, Ava & Viv, this graphic striped maxi dress is one of the few winners from this otherwise (in my opinion) dull and disappointing collection.

Ava & Viv Plus Size Maxi Dress

This option from LOFT, available in regular, petite, and tall sizes, has such a gorgeous print.  The laid-back vibe is perfect for road trips, casual outings, and backyard barbecues.

LOFT Wanderlust Maxi Dress

What do you think?  See anything you like? Do you wear maxi dresses?  If so, do you wear them as casual wear, for dressy occasions or both?